Labeling-machine.



2% 44% 7mm, MM 111% KM F. W. WILD, 1R.

LABELING MACHINE. v APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 11, 1910.

1,011,299. I Patented Dec. 12, 1-911.

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FREDERICK W. WILD, JR, 0F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BURT MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

, LABELIN G-MACHIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 19 11,

Application filed January 11, 1910. Serial No. 537,442:

it is the practice to make one or both of the guides between which the cans roll in the labeling operation, laterally adjustable with respect to the longitudinal center line of the machine, in order that cans of different standard sizes can be labeled; and also in such cases, and in others where lateral adjustability of the guiding devices is not required, it is usual to provide proper clearance between the heads of the cans and the guides, in order that the rolling of the cans by means of the conveyer appliances will not be interrupted by friction.

The adjustment with respect to clearance above alluded to, is effective when the heads are soldered to the bodies, and the cans when headed have a uniform length, but not effective when cans or paper boxes with slip heads or covers, or friction tops, are used and the heads applied by hand after the cans or boxes are filled, for the reason that the heads are not always forced down and brought tightly in contact with the edges of the bodies, or the. friction tops pushed inward to the limit; and it follows therefore that in many cases, such receptacles having an abnormal height or length become jammed between the guiding appliances, and in consequence, the operation of the machine has to be sus ended until the said obstructing receptacles are removed.

The object of the present invention is primarily, to obviate the above described difficulty in labeling cylindrical packages 'hav ing sli covers or heads, or friction tops, by sub ecting them to an endwise pressure whereby they are all brought to a common and what might be termed the normal length before coming into contact with the conveying devices, and their passage between the guides. -The mechanism to effect the ,result above described, has also the function of producing an intermittent feed of the cans from the runway to the conveymg appliances, as will hereinafter fully appear.

In the description of the said invention I which follows, reference is made to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof and in Wl11Gl1,-

Figure 1 is an exterior side view of the entrance end of a labeling machine provided with the present invention, and Fig. 2 a section taken on the dotted line w zv, and looking in the direction indicated by the arrow.

Referring now to the drawing which shows one form of labeling machines, 1, 1 are rails which constitute the upper part of the frame and the bed'of the machine, along which the cans are rolled in the labeling operation. v r

2, 2 are the lateral guide bars for the cans.

3, 3 are standards which support the shaft 4 carrying the pulleys 5 for the endless conveyer belts 6. Secured to the shaft 4, and situated between the pulleys 5, is another pulley 7 shown as of the same diameter as the said pulleys. 1

9 is a shaft journaled in the horizontal portions of the brackets 10 which extend backward from the standards 3. This shaft carries a smaller pulley 12, and over -the pulleys 7 and 12 is stretched the endless belt 13 which has a surface motion the same as that of the conveyer belts 6.

15 is the feed or entrance runway upon which the cans to be labeled are placed, and along which they roll by gravity to the belt '13 which carries them to a position where they come in contact with the conveyer belts 6.

17 is a shaft having its bearings in the vertical portions of the brackets 10, and is driven from the shaft 4 by means of the pulleys 19 and 20, and the belt 22.

23, 23 are rolls secured to spindles 25 the lower ends of which are seated in a bar 27 The upper ends of these spindles are provided with beveled gear wheels 30 in mesh with the beveled pinions 31 which are tight on the shaft 17.

The rolls are'set so that the clear space between them is equivalent to the length of the cans or boxes to be labeled when the covers of the same are in contact with the edges of the bodies, or the friction tops properly in place in the heads; and in order that the rolls may be well adapted to force past them the boxes delivered thereto from the runway 15, their surfaces are'roughened in any suitable manner.

The surface speed of rotationof the rolls 23 is less than that of the conveyer belts 6, and in-consequence, the rolls serve as devices to space or to separate the cans while the same are passing through the machine in the labeling operation.

I have omitted all description of the mechanism which directly applies labels to the cans, for the reason that the same is not included in the present invention.

The cans or boxes to be labeled are denoted in the drawing by A, and in the operation of the machine, those cans whose closures have been primarily forced into a position with respect to the bodies, pass between the spacing rolls 23 without any change being effected in their condition; but the cans having their lids not fully down with respect to the bodies, are compressed endwise and fully closed before the cans are delivered to the feed belts, and made to pass between the guide bars, and consequently there can be no interruption of the operation of the machine, caused by the cans becoming jammed between the lateral guide bars 2.

I claim as my invention,

1. In a canlabeling machine, the bed thereof, lateral guides for the cans in traversing the same, and means to roll the cans along the bed and between the guides, combined with a, pair of rolls situated at the entrance end of the machine, between which the cans must pass before entering. the ma chine proper, and means to rotate the said rolls and thereby bring the cans when passing between them to a common length, substantially as specified.

2. In a can labeling machine, the bed thereof, lateral guides for the cans while traversing the same, and means to roll the 4 cans along the bed and between the guides, combined with a pair of rolls situated at the entrance end of the machine, and means to rotate the said rolls and thereby bring the cans when passing between them to a common length, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a can labeling machine, the bed thereof, lateral guides for the cans while traversing the same, and means to roll the cans along the bed and between the .guides, combined with a pair of driven rolls situated at the entrance end of the machine and means to conduct the cans to between the rolls, whereby the cans are endwise compressed before passing to the lateral guides,

substantially as specified.

4. In combination with the endless conveyer belts, the bed, the lateral guides for cans, and the entrance runway of a labeling machine, a pair of practically vertical driven spacing rolls situated in the runway, with a surface speed which is less than that of the conveyer belts, and having a space between them corresponding practically with the space between the guides, substantially as specified.

FREDERICK W. WILD, JR.

Witnesses:

THOMAS G. HULL, WM. T. HoWARo. 

